There are several ways of looking at the Yankees listing top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield as a reliever Tuesday night when Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre played Buffalo. Originally, he was supposed to start.

The first is that the 22-year-old lefty was being prepared to become a part of the Yankees’ late-season bullpen when rosters expand on Sept. 1.

The other way is that with 108 ²/₃ innings pitched the Yankees are attempting to control Sheffield’s innings in the final days of the International League schedule.

The 108 ²/₃ frames are his most since he threw 125 ¹/₃ innings in 2016 with three teams — two in the Indians’ organization and for Double-A Trenton.

Sheffield is 6-6 with a 2.90 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) this season between Double-A and Triple-A.